“Operation No Way Out” comes to a close in Del., resulting in several arrests

On Saturday, the Sussex Drug Unit and the Seaford Police Department reported that they concluded a joint investigation which targeted a large-scale heroin distribution organization operating out of the Seaford area.

Delaware State Police officials say that the six month investigation, named “Operation No Way Out,” was able to be successfully concluded with help from the Kent and Sussex County Governor’s Task Force, State Police New Castle County Drug Unit, DEA-Salisbury, Maryland State Police, and Wicomico County Narcotics Task Force.

According to the report, the investigation uncovered the leaders of the organization as being Brandon A. Ways, 27 of Smyrna, and Torontay T. Mann, 25 of Seaford, and associates involved in the organization were identified as Vanity N. Corea, 30 of Seaford, Norquetta C. Heath, 32 of Seaford, and Angeline M. Metelus, 21 of Bridgeville. Officials say that the organization was known to operate out of three separate homes in Seaford, Delaware, and one in Salisbury, Maryland. Brandon Ways and Torontay Mann were also reported to have been using a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a Nissan Maxima to transport the heroin for distribution.

Officials noted that the final phase of the investigation began with the execution of several search warrants. To start, a search warrant was executed on a blue 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee after the car, which was driven by Angeline Metelus, was stopped by troopers in the area of South DuPont Highway and Webbs Lane near Dover. During a search of the vehicle, officials found 79,500 bags of heroin.

Members of the Seaford Police Department and Delaware State Police then executed search warrants at the three apartments within the limits of Seaford. What happened, as stated in the report, is as follows:

100 block of Woodland Mills Apartments: Norquetta Heath was taken into custody without incident when police entered the apartment.  A search of the residence found .40 caliber ammunition, .9mm ammunition, and a .40 Caliber Glock handgun magazine. Brandon Ways allegedly left the apartment just before officers arrived, but he was taken into custody on a traffic stop on Atlanta Road. He was found to be in possession of over $800 in suspected drug proceeds.

800 block of Chandler Heights II: Torontay Mann and Tateyana Rideout, 22 of Seaford, were taken into custody without incident. Detectives say they seized a .22 caliber handgun found in a hand bag inside a bedroom closet, along with 13 grams of marijuana and $3,655 in suspected drug proceeds.

Unit block of Seaford Meadows: Officials took Vanity Corea into custody at this residence. Detectives reported that they found and seized three firearms during the search including a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, a .40 caliber Glock semi-automatic handgun, and a second .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun with an obliterated serial number. Drug paraphernalia was also seized, which included packaging materials and a digital scale located inside a safe.

According to the report, as a result of the investigation, the suspects were all taken to Troop 4 in Georgetown. They were all formally charged on Sunday with the following:

• Brandon A. Ways – Possession of tier 5 quantity heroin, possession with intent to deliver heroin, four counts of possession of firearm by person prohibited, and conspiracy 2nd.  He was arraigned at JP3 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution (SCI) in default of $134,000 cash bond.

• Torontay T. Mann – Possession of tier 5 quantity heroin, possession with intent to deliver heroin, possession firearm by person prohibited, and conspiracy 2nd. He was released from SCI after posting $125,000 secured bond.

• Vanity N. Corea – Possesion of a firearm with obliterated serial number, maintaining a drug property, and conspiracy 2nd. She was released on $16,000 unsecured bond.

• Angeline M. Metelus – Possession of heroin in a tier 5 quantity, possession with intent to deliver heroin, and conspiracy 2nd. She has since been released after posting $42,000 secured bond.

• Norquetta C. Heath – Maintaining a drug property and conspiracy 2nd. She was released on $5,000 unsecured bond.

• Tateyana Rideout – Maintaining a drug property and conspiracy 2nd. She was released on $5,000 unsecured bond.

On Monday, members of the Wicomico County Narcotics Task Force say they executed a search warrant at Brandon Ways’ home in Ocean Aisle Apartments in Salisbury, Maryland.  Torontay Mann, who had been bailed out from the November 5th incident, was contacted after he was leaving the apartment, and a search of the residence allowed officers to find a Rossi .38 special revolver in the bedroom dresser. The firearm was previously reported stolen to the Bridgeville Police Department in Delaware, and Mann was charged with the weapons offense and released after posting bond in Maryland.